The invention pertains to a book casing device with support plates of a circulation conveyor that transport the books astraddle in a vertical position and with a book delivery unit having a stripping element that is arranged in the plane of motion of the support plates and features a through-opening for the support plates, wherein the downwardly moving books are supported on the stripping element in order to be released from the support plates, and with a delivery device for the subsequent lateral delivery of the books referred to the plane of motion of the support plates.
A book casing device of the described design with a schematically illustrated book delivery unit is known, for example, from DE-OS 20 16 425. The book blocks are vertically transported from the bottom toward the top astraddle by means of support plates of a circulation conveyor, wherein glue is simultaneously applied on the book blocks that are subsequently provided with a case. During the additional transport, the downwardly moving books reach a delivery device with a drum-shaped stripping element that can be turned back and forward about its longitudinal axis, as well as a delivery rake mounted thereon. The stripping element features a through-slot for guiding through the support plate while the book is stripped off the saddle plate. The books are received from the delivery rake by means of a not-shown tilting element that is arranged on the stripping element, namely due to the rotational movement of the stripping element, and then deposited on a delivery conveyor.
DE 197 17 736 A1 describes a book delivery unit, in which the stripping element is fixed in the through-position for the support plates and the depositing rake can be pivoted relative to the stripping element. The movement of a delivery unit that serves as the tilting element is synchronized with the movement of the support plates in such a way that the book is tilted toward the depositing rake from its vertical position when the through-opening is closed by the support plate.
In the known book delivery systems, the books are quasi pushed over from their vertical position. The depositing rake absorbs the fall and deposits the books on a continuously moving delivery conveyor in the form of a depositing movement, during which it pivots about an axis extending parallel to the stripping element. This causes freshly cased-in books to be subjected to significant stresses that lead to the deformation of the books and jeopardize the connection produced between the book block and the case. Any occurring relative movements with the stripping element, the depositing rake and/or the delivery conveyor may result in markings on books with sensitive case coverings.